GM probably has some role to play in our future. Ideally it will only be when we develop biota to terraform Mars or any other planet we aren’t critically dependent on, because it’s a super-fucking-high risk business when you start tinkering with the ecosystems of the whole fucking world.
But companies out there want to do it anyway, so let’s allow them to, on one condition: if so much as one gene is found where you promise it will never be, (a) your entire company becomes a not-for-profit operating for the public good – ALL of it, no fucking around with ‘holding companies’ and other such weasely shit; (b) all directors will be stripped of their assets; (c) all intellectual property will be open-sourced.
Of course if you run closed-system trials and take exhaustive precautions you won’t be penalised, but generally the new rule is: You fuck with our commons, we take away your privates.
Sounds fair enough? Shame, because it’s too fucking late.